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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to buy a caravan against DH's wishes

220 replies

Babieseverywhere · 18/09/2012 09:57

Short Version
My DH thinks I am being very unreasonable but AIBU to want to sell MY things to fund a cheap old caravan which I will use ON MY OWN with our children, so they can have a holiday ?

Long Version
My DH works very hard to support our family, whilst I'm currently a SAHM to our 4 DC's. DH is happy with this arrangement and I will be returning to work in a couple of years time, when our youngest is at school.

Our budget does not cover luxuries like proper holidays and so we usually have a few day trips each year. However last year my MIL invited us to stay in a static caravan for a week with the DC's and we had a ball. Really enjoyed the beach, the children's playgrounds on site and the onsite swimming pool.

I have been trying to convince my DH to buy a tourer caravan to enable us to have cheap self catering holidays but he claims to hate tourer caravans though he has never had a holiday in one. He had previously claimed to hate static caravans too, but really enjoyed last years holiday in one...all I wanted him to do was have a go before making a decision on how he feels about it, but he is stubborn (like me) and he remain unconvinced.

I decided that I will sell anything I have of value which I paid for pre-children...my laptop, my mobile phone, my collection of baby slings (bought with maternity money for first child), mobile cashbacks etc and buy a cheap caravan.

Looking to spend (if I manage to raise this much money) £400 or less on a 4/5/6 berth one with a minimum of two double beds, to pile my small children on. If anyone has one they are getting rid of in the North West PM me. Wink

I don't expect my DH to come away in this caravan, I will go on my own with the children. No, it won't be a relaxing holiday for me but the idea is to give the children a nice time and I'm on my own with all the children every school holiday anyway. I do hope DH might try it one day but I am buying it with no expectations of him ever setting foot in it, as he hates caravans. Hmm

DH is still against the idea of me even self funding a caravan and when I mention my caravan fund (barely started), he is very negative and is trying to put me off the idea...telling me I can't put the caravan on our drive...I could put the caravan on our double drive but this would mean I would have to park my car on the road which I am willing to do but he says no.

I aim to buy a couple of food tins every food shop through out the year, to put in the caravan, that is what we did as children. Had a tourer holiday where we ate tinned food for a week with fruit ! Then the money I would of spent on a food shop the week of the holiday, can cover site fees on a basic caravan park...we'll have so much fun.

Caravan insurance will be around a £5 a week/month (can't remember which) and this I will take out of the child benefit for our youngest which we have just started receiving and isn't currently in our budget IYSWIM, as it is a benefit for our children.

My father has already agreed IF i get a caravan he will be willing to tow it nearby for me (within a couple of hours drive). So I don't need to get a tow bar, nor worry about towing the caravan. I'm sure my father will help me set it up for me on site :)

DH's parents live permanently in a caravan travelling around Europe and England and I'm sure I could pitch up next to them for a few nights. They don't see enough of the grandchildren and I'm sure would love for me to do this. Likewise my own parents are retired and have a tourer and would love to spend a few days at the seaside with their grandchildren.

AIBU to buy a caravan ?

OP posts:
Fishwife1949 · 18/09/2012 15:46

how about a tent you can get a tent for 6 and the whole kit second hand for about £400

i am not a keen outdoor type and roughing it is not in my vocab we opted for a luxury tent it even has a carpet for about £1000 and thats with everything brand new

i even have a two seater camping sofa :)

just go on ebay bid for a tent and trimmings and see what you get you can stay at 5 star camping sites for as little as £200 a week for 6

Jins · 18/09/2012 16:11

A tent has been suggested a couple of times over the last 6 pages :)

OP doesn't want a tent and who can blame her? She wants a caravan and having been searching for a little while there are actually plenty in that price range that look as if they'd be ok for a couple of seasons

Hullygully · 18/09/2012 16:14

I'm so sorry Wallace.

You are inthe gang too

PooPooOnMars · 18/09/2012 16:22

I do the Sun vouchers thing and that works out really well!

quoteunquote · 18/09/2012 16:26

just keep watching things like this as they come with all the extras,

you will find one, don't sell or take out loans for them,

one chap I know has lots at the end of each year as he supplies them for all the festival crews, I've had several off him for £50, just put the word out, keep looking, it is worth asking at the proper caravan dealers as they often take old ones as part exchange, and then just want rid,

Jins · 18/09/2012 16:29

I've heard the Sun vouchers thing is good but sadly I've not had anything to do with that particular publication since April 1989

Jins · 18/09/2012 16:35

Here's one for a pound!!

PooPooOnMars · 18/09/2012 16:37

Jins. Yeah, it is embarrassing having to actually buy the paper!

Hullygully · 18/09/2012 16:38

Little bit of work on Jins' one and Bob's your unc!

Hullygully · 18/09/2012 16:39

I want another campervan

Jins · 18/09/2012 16:42

To be honest we had a Sprite Alpine of that vintage when I was young and it would take more than a bit of work to make it a pleasant holiday environment. There was a foot pedal for water. Well there was a pedal. It never worked.

MairyHinge · 18/09/2012 16:48

I'm in the north west and selling my carVan but want bit more than £400!! Comes with shit loads of stuff tho, and it's lovely.
£400 caravan will be a damp pile of often junk. just saying

MairyHinge · 18/09/2012 16:49

Of ROTTEN junk

angeltattoo · 18/09/2012 16:56

You cannot afford it - simple as that, really.

Dogsmom · 18/09/2012 17:03

Do it! Hubby & I are caravanners and love it, best thing we ever did, the freedom is great and it's a real hobby.

Hubby gets the piss taken out of him at work from his jealous colleagues but he doesn't give a crap, by 6pm on a Friday we're sat outside in the fresh air with a beer in one hand and the bbq on the go and spend the weekend relaxing while his colleagues are traipsing around shops etc, we go away at least every other weekend and have 3 or 4 weeks on top of that, it costs us £12 a night.

£400 is a push though although there are bargains to be had if you search hard enough, you need to make sure your car is heavy enough to tow it though, when you see a caravan look here www.whattowcar.com/ to check your car is suitable.

Towing is easy, you honestly can't feel anything is there other than when you pull away at junctions it takes a couple more seconds to build speed.

Your kids will love it, we see the kids on site having a wonderful time running around, making new friends every week, building dens, enjoying the simple things etc, our first baby is due in March and I plan to go away with just the baby and dogs when hubby is on lates, we keep our van stocked with everything so all I need to do is throw in clean undies and I'm off, setting up on site takes half an hour maximum.

If your husband wont have the caravan at home then have a look at your nearest camping and caravanning site, we store ours on one in Shropshire for £300 a year, it saves having to tow every time and they put in on a pitch for you so all you'd have to do is plug in the electric, fill the water and you're set up.

Treblesallround · 18/09/2012 17:11

Total tangent, but my ex (of nearly 30 years ago) reckoned that the Caravan Club are (were) all into wife swapping. Has anyone else heard that?

VivaLeBeaver · 18/09/2012 17:15

My advice is get a tent.

If your dad takes you and leaves you there then what will you do for going palces/days out??? If the weather is nice then teh kids will play out but if its horrible you'll all be killing each other in a caravan.

If you have a tent you'll still have a car and can go places.

Jins · 18/09/2012 17:15

I've not noticed it when we've stayed on Caravan Club sites but what I have noticed is that there's nobody sober on the site as soon as the sun goes down :)

I watched an old couple clinging to each other to get to the toilet block once. I thought there'd been an accident and went to offer some help to be met with the thousand yard stare and the unmistakable scent of whisky.

Which is exactly why I like caravanning.

quoteunquote · 18/09/2012 17:16

[[http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/COSALT-CLUBMAN-4-BERTH-CARAVAN-TOURING-CARAVAN-BUNK-BEDS-/230852732699?pt=UK_Campers_Caravans_Motorhomes&hash=item35bfe5271b#ht_995wt_1077 another one]

quoteunquote · 18/09/2012 17:20

if you read the details on this one you can see that people are always off loading good ones,
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Abbey-Touring-Caravan-4-Birth-Not-Bailey-Elddis-Swift-Compass-Sprite-/290774903627?pt=UK_Campers_Caravans_Motorhomes&hash=item43b388eb4b#ht_763wt_1077

D0oinMeCleanin · 18/09/2012 17:21

I would be very wary of paying in excess of £400 for something that I haven't seen the inside of. There must be something wrong there or they'd have photographed the inside too.

D0oinMeCleanin · 18/09/2012 17:23

Ah they did. Duh! My PC had a bit of a wobbly and wouldn't show half of the pics. Ignore me Blush

I still think a tent is the way to go or hiring a static for the week.

Hullygully · 18/09/2012 17:25
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